CSKA begins with a win

EUROPEAN FOOTBALL CSKA Moscow overcame FC Midtjylland of Denmark in an empty stadium as the Russian squad began work on their UEFA Cup defense

AP , LONDON

Feyenoord's Salomon Kalou, right, avoids a tackle from Rapid's Robert Ilyes during their UEFA Cup first-round, first-leg match in Stadium de Kuip in Rotterdam, Netherlands, Thursday. Feyenoord was sanctioned by the UEFA to play the match without supporters due to an incident last year when supporters threw fireworks on the field.

PHOTO: AP

CSKA Moscow began the defense of its UEFA Cup title with a 3-1 win over Danish club FC Midtjylland, but Bayer Leverkusen lost and two-time champion Feyenoord drew in first-leg, first-round matches on Thursday.

No fans watched in Moscow's Dynamo Stadium as Rolan Gusev opened the scoring for CSKA, only for Razak Pimpong to level three minutes later. CSKA's Brazilian midfielder, Daniel Carvalho, scored two late goals.

UEFA ordered the game be played in an empty stadium after firecrackers were thrown from the stands during last season's semifinal against Parma. One firecracker had exploded by the head of visiting goalkeeper Luca Bucci.

"The game turned out to be tough. Our opponents scored an equalizer and it encouraged them," said CSKA coach Valery Gazzaev. "I'm satisfied with the game and the result."

Forty matches featuring clubs from 30 European countries were played Thursday. The second-leg matches will be played Sept. 29. The 20 winners advance to the group stage.

Feynoord, champion in 1974 and 2002, also played in an empty stadium against Rapid Vienna as punishment for crowd trouble at its match with Sporting Lisbon last season.

Dirk Kuyt gave Feyenoord the lead in the 40th minute, but Ciprian Vasilache leveled with a penalty in the 76th.

Leverkusen's 1-0 loss to CSKA Sofia was the night's biggest upset after Jordan Todorov's winner in the 15th.

"In the second half we tried everything, but you have to ask yourself why nothing worked," said Leverkusen goalkeeper Joerg Butt.

Jon Dahl Tomasson and Christian Gentner scored in Stuttgart's first win in five matches. "We have had a difficult period, every knows that," Tomasson said. "It wasn't beautiful football, but we won, so we should be happy."

Hertha Berlin also won, while Hamburger SV and Mainz 05 drew.

Olivier Kapo and Emmanuel Adebayor scored each side of halftime for Monaco, while Rennes and Strasbourg won and Marseille drew in matches involving other French clubs.

Christian Panucci scored twice in Roma's crushing win, which coach Luciano Spalletti watched from the stands as he serves a European touchline ban earned while at Udinese last season.

Palermo won but Italy's third team, Sampdoria, drew 1-1 with Setubal of Portugal.

Last year's finalist Sporting rallied to defeat Halmstads BK after Deivid de Souza scored the winner two minutes into the second half.

English clubs Middlesbrough and Bolton won, but Everton, which finished third in the Premier League last season, conceded four second-half goals to its Romanian opponent.